Backstories
by KnowMyNameNotMyStory
Summary: When you look at someone, remember that they have a story. They've gone through something that changed them & forced them to grow. Every passing face on the street has a story every bit as compelling & as complicated as yours. Everyone has something amazing to offer. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge & be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.


**Jade West**

**~.~.~.~**

"Jadelyn West, don't you dare walk away from me when I'm talking to you!"

"You are _NOT_ my mother so I don't have to listen to anything you say!" the little girl said. She stomped her way up the stairs of her West Hollywood home.

"The heck you do! Your real mother left you, do you think she gives a damn that you're defending her?! You're dead to her so whether you like it or not, I'm your new mommy!" the older woman cried out from the bottom of the steps.

"You may have married my father, but I will NEVER be your daughter!"

"UGGGHH! Maybe your mother was right to leave you, who the hell would want you as a child?!"

"And who would want Satan's mistress as a wife?! Stay away from me!" she said and slammed her bedroom door shut.

"Go to your room!" she yelled from the stairs.

Her door opened again.

"I am in my room you bimbo!" the little girl spat one last time before once again slamming and locking her door.

Thirteen-year old Jadelyn West ran to her bed and held on to her pillow with a tight grip. Sometimes her stepmother would aggravate her so much. She had always wondered what her father saw in Sheila. Other than the obvious fact that she had big boobs and golden blonde hair, she was the worst individual ever; and Jade has met plenty of horrible people in her life.

*knock knock knock*

She ignored the noise. It was probably her devil of a stepmother either wanting to make amends or yell at her some more. Though with the day she was having, she was pretty sure it was the latter.

*knock knock knock*

_My God she's annoying_, Jade thought.

*knock knock knock*

"Go away," Jade yelled.

Suddenly, her door opened. With Jade's anger building, she was about ready to blow a fuse for her stepmother not respecting her privacy.

"I said go awa-"

"Jade?"

Jade looked up and towards to her door. To her surprise it wasn't her stepmother.

"Georgie?"

"Are you ok?" the little boy asked softly.

"You know Sheila, she doesn't really like me," Jade sighed.

"I like you," he replied.

**~.~.~.~**

George West was Jade's younger 5-year-old brother. Ever since her mother left, George was all she had for family. She wouldn't necessarily consider her father as family seeing as he was never around and when he was, he'd be with Sheila.

It wasn't always like this. Once upon a time Jade had a nice life. Her parents were in love and they weren't afraid to show it. She made believe that love was the strongest and greatest thing in the planet and her parents definitely had it. They'd go on family trips to visit Jade's mother's side of the Family in New York, and occasionally go to the beach on sunny days. And living in Los Angeles had many sunny days. Though her sunny days were short lived because this happy life, this faint memory was barely the first year or two of life. Her father couldn't keep a stable job. He was always getting fired or laid off. In his defense, the economy was suffering already as it is. On top of that he was pressured to bring home the bacon for his wife and daughter. So he tried his best. He shifted focus to things that mattered to him, becoming selfish and pessimistic.

Jade started seeing less and less of him and when she did see him, it was never a happy moment. He'd come home late too tired to talk to his wife or daughter. When he did speak it was nonsense, usually spite and hate for no particular reason at all. Jade tried to get her father to like her but that would result in him pushing her away and telling her to quit bothering him.

Eventually, her father got a promotion at work and he slowly became money hungry. When he shared the news with his wife, they celebrated as a family and for the first time in years Jade saw a smile on her father's face. Soon they'd learn baby George was on his way. Jade was excited to be a big sister. She would have a best friend and playmate and would let her brother share in her loving and happy family. But almost instantly Mr. West fell back to his snotty businessman attitude, this time with more ego because of his new job title. However, Mrs. West tried convincing him to try to give more time to his family, since there was a new baby on the way. So he did- sort of. He'd work at the kitchen table instead of his office when Jade and her baby brother were in the living room enjoy some television after dinner. Though he wouldn't stay long claiming he needed peace and quiet and after 20 minutes of 'family time', he'd go back to his home office. One of the last things they ever did as a family was go to the beach. George had just turned 1 and Jade was 9. Mr. West was glued to his phone talking to one of his clients while Mrs. West was feeding George. Jade wanted to go to the water so long as her mother was watching her. George spat up his lunch on Mrs. West's top and she wanted to change clothes.

"David, can you watch George for a second? He spat up on me and I want to change in the car."

"Honey, can't you see I'm on the phone? This is a very important project we're working on," Mr. West complained.

"Sweetheart, all I'm asking is for five minutes. George already ate so he's not fussy. Besides, it's not a meeting so can't your employees wait for five minutes?"

"Fine," he unwillingly obliged and took George in one arm.

"Oh and Jade's in the water. Keep an eye on her okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up already," he dismissed his wife and continued his conversation.

Jade was a curious child, happily exploring the beach. She had a bucket and picked up unique looking rocks along the shore. She spotted a rather shiny looking shell that the water washed up, a little closer in the water than the shore. Jade too ka few steps and once her feet touched the damp beach floor, she became even more fascinated. She loved the feeling of the sand in between her toes and the cold water washing up to her shins. She had long forgot about the shell and splashed her way in the shallow end of the shore, waste deep. She noticed something in the water- a dolphin! Jade had read about these mammals in books and she was now in the presence of a living, breathing dolphin. Jade hurriedly ran back to her father and asked him if she could float a bit further in the water with her floatie jacket and kid sized boogie board.

"Daddy, daddy! There's a dolphin in the water!" young Jade beckoned.

"Jade, be quiet, you're brother is sleeping."

"Can I swim out to it?"

"Jade, can't you see I'm on the phone?" he dismissed his daughter.

"But the dolphin-"

"Jade! This is a very important phone conversation. Do whatever you want, just don't bother me!" he yelled and turned around.

Usually, Jade would get scared, but she was too riled up to care. She slipped on her kiddie life jacket and arm floaties, grabbed her purple boogie board and made a beeline to the shore.

Luckily, the dolphin was still there, swimming along near the shallow end. Jade's mother taught her to swim, but for safety, she still used floaties and kid life jackets. Jade swam about 20 feet from the shallow end and was able to get close to the dolphin. She wore the most genuine smile any nine-year-old child would have. The dolphin allowed her to pet its head and it splashed Jade.

On the far side of the pier was where the teenagers and college students lounged around, some rowdy college guys decided to jet ski. They had spotted the dolphin and decided to scare the poor creature. A few of the guys hopped on the jets and raced towards it. Jade was happily playing with the dolphin, both enjoying one another's company. Everything happened so fast. One second the rowdy students zoomed past Jade and the dolphin splashing and startling both bodies. The next minute, the mammal was freaking out, with a basic fight or flight reaction, causing panic, unintentionally spinning around towards the ocean, whacking Jade with it's fin about 10 feet to the right. Jade got the wind knocked out of her and screamed piercingly loud.

Mrs. West happened to get back to their spot on the sands in time.

"Hey hun, thanks. Where's Jade?" she asked her husband who was still on the phone, never once looked up to see what was going on.

Once Mrs. West heard the scream, she knew that was an all too familiar voice. She turned towards the ocean and found her daughter being swatted by the dolphin before it swam off, and Jade having gallons of water smack her face.

"David, oh my God! I told you to watch Jade!" her mother screamed and ran towards the water.

Mr. West looked up and saw his daughter in the water.

"Ugh, listen Peter, let me call you back in like 5 minutes. My daughter decided to act up."

He hung up and picked George up from the blanket he was taking a nap and walked towards the girls. Mrs. West splashed in the water to pick Jade up from the water and hugged her tightly against her chest. She walked back to the sand and knelt down. Jade had a gash on her left arm and some scratches on the right side of her face.

"Oh Jadey, are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay mommy," Jade said weakly, "The mean big kids just scared me and Mr. Dolphin."

"Who said you could go out and touch the dolphin sweetheart? That's dangerous."

"Daddy said I could."

"He what?" Mrs. West asked sternly.

Her father had reached the girls by that that.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jade?!" he screamed.

"No, what the hell were _you _thinking giving her permission to swim and touch a dolphin without supervision?!" Mrs. West retorted.

"I never gave her permission!" he defended. "Your daughter's a liar!"

"Did she ask you about the dolphin?"

"Yes, but I never gave her permission to do so."

"Jade, if your father said not to do it, why'd you do it?"

"Daddy didn't say no," Jade said.

"I didn't say yes!" he spat back.

"But you didn't say no," Mrs. West defended her daughter. "What did daddy say then?"

"To leave him alone…" Jade mumbled.

Mrs. West slowly turned her head to face her husband.

"She was bothering me, Julie. How many times do I have to say how important this job is to me? You need to control your daughter, teach her some manners."

"The only way she'll ever have good manners is if you set a good example, David. God, you're daughter was in danger and all you can think about is your stupid job?!"

"I put food on our tables and a roof over your head because of this stupid job! The least Jade can do is stop being a kid and grow up!"

"Jade is a kid! She's 9! Not 29!"

Her parents continued their bickering throughout the car ride home. It lasted for days. Deep down, Jade felt she was to blame, but her mom would always assure her that it wasn't her fault. Then one night, it happened. When Mr. West had come home from work and the two went at it arguing, he brought her to a brink and gave an ultimatum. Stay or go, because he was fed up with her chizz. When Jade heard her the door of the master bedroom open, she knew something was wrong. They would always fight in their room until it was time to sleep, but this time someone walked out. Jade opened her bedroom door and saw her mother with bags. She walked towards George's nursery and Jade followed suit. Mrs. West went to his crib and picked him up. She hugged him and whispered her love and affection to her sweet baby boy.

"Mommy?" Jade mumbled.

She turned around, tears falling down her face and saw her daughter standing at the door.

"Where are you going?" the little girl asked.

"Oh Jade," her mother set George down and opened her arms for Jade to run into.

"Mommy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Mrs. West wiped her tears, knelt down and faced Jade.

"Mommy has to go, honey. I have to go somewhere else for a while."

"Are you going to grandmas? Can I come with you?" she asked naively.

"No sweetie, you have to stay here with your father. Mommy needs to go on this trip alone."

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know, sweetheart, I just don't know."

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry," Jade started to well up.

"No, Jade, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just, Mommy and Daddy need space. And I have to go."

"Why can't daddy go?"

"Because this is where his job is."

"But I don't want you to leave! Take me with you please?!" Jade begged, this time letting tears fall down her cheeks.

"Sweetie, I promise I'll come back. One day. Take care of your brother for me, ok? You're in charge now. You're in charge of Georgie."

"Mommy, I love you," Jade wailed. "Don't leave me!" She hugged her mother, a death grip around her neck.

"Jadey, please. I can't stay." With that, Mrs. West kissed George on the forehead and turned around to kiss and hug Jade one last time.

"I love you," she told her kids and left.

Jade stayed in the same spot where her mother left her, not wanting to move, knowing quite well that if she did, she knew this was real. Her mother left her. Moments later, Mr. West appeared at the door.

"Uh, listen, Jade. I've got a conference call in a few. Feed your brother and go to sleep."

And that was all he said. He didn't even mention his wife's exit, nor did he make sure Jade was ok.

The first few days were rough. Mr. West called his parents to come over to watch the kids for a while. Jade's grandma on her dad's side didn't like her very much. She thought Jade was a brat from the times Mr. West complained to never have peace and quite in the house because Jade would sing along to Disney songs all the time. Like mother like son, she thought. She scolded Jade, ordered her to do things since her father was under a great deal of stress because her mother left. Jade had nothing else to do but listen and act strong for the sake of George. At night, however, little Jade West would sit at her windowsill staring at the moon, praying for her mother to come back. But she never did.

A few months had passed and Jade was beginning to lose hope of her mother's return. That was partly due to the fact that her father got rid of anything and everything that reminded him of her. One night, while Jade was picking up George's toys in the living room, Mr. West was absentmindedly walking towards his kids while chatting on the phone. He didn't watch his stepped and tripped on one of George's squeaky toys, and had accidentally knocked over and broke the vase next to the fireplace. Mr. West of course blamed Jade for the mishap.

"God damn it, Jade West! Stop keeping your toys all over the place! And clean up the vase but use gloves. I don't have time to take you to the hospital if you bleed."

Jade knelt down to pick up her brother's toy when she noticed something had fallen near the mantle of the fireplace. She grabbed the paper and examined it. It was a family photo of the four of them a few weeks after George was born. Mr. West was dusting himself off and noticed Jade holding something.

"What is that?" he asked. Before he gave her a chance to answer, he snatched the photo from his daughter's hands.

"Psh," he spat. "This is nothing but a stupid memory," he handed it back to her and started to walk back.

"I want mommy to come back," Jade mumbled barely above a whisper.

He heard the comment and turned back around.

"Your mother is never coming back," he slowly said. "So stop being immature and pretending she will."

Jade didn't want to believe him and looked back down at the photo. He rolled his eyes, walked to the kitchen and pulled something out of the drawer. He went back to Jade, snatched the photo once again from her hands and raise it up. In his hands was a pair of scissors. He looked at his daughter and made sure she was looking at what he was about to do next. In one fast snip, he had cut his wife out of the photo and let the piece fall to the ground. He placed the remainder of the photo on top of the fireplace and knelt down to Jade's level. He handed her the pair of scissors.

"Life won't ever treat you right, so you might as well cut off what brings you down." With that, he walked away.

Jade picked up the cut piece of her mother from the floor and studied her face. She wanted to be mad at her, but she wanted her to come back. But what her father said sparked something inside of her and she had a stronger grip of those scissors. She snipped the piece in half once again, cutting her mother. After realizing what she had done, even to a simple photo, Jade broke down. She taped up her mother's photo and hid it in her bedroom. But the scissors she kept. She felt the immense power when holding them, and wanted to keep them so she wouldn't have to get hurt anymore. Thus, her obsession with scissors began.

Jade started to change her ways. She built walls around her heart, not daring to let anyone else but her brother. She fell to the dark side. She had this classmate at school that had an older brother that was an eerie of a character. He wore all black and didn't talk to many people. Her classmate would say that he was always quiet at home, and he would tell her he didn't have friends. When she saw him at their open house, Jade couldn't believe that a guy like her classmate described existed. She could never imagine being glum all the time. Until now. She started wearing dark clothing, mostly black, and stopped talking to her classmates more than needed. She found nothing to smile about and nothing to be happy about.

Then came Sheila Davis. A young woman in her twenties, blonde, curvy, and hungry for power. Her father had met her at a conference and he started hooking up with her on weekends. After a year of dating, David West proposed and married his trophy wife. They were inseparable. Jade, though she fell into this introverted phase, still vied for her father's attention, but lost her shot when this other woman came into the picture. Sheila was never a mother figure to Jade and George. She was only interested in David, his money, and her yappy little dog. She had no respect for his children, nor did he ever stop her from scolding them.

**~.~.~.~**

"Georgie, I'm fine. Now could you please go? I want to be alone," 13-year-old Jade responded to her brother.

He meant well to comfort her, but he was just catching her at the right time.

"But grandma is coming over for dinner."

"Great, another person I don't like. I wish grandpa were still alive. Too bad he had to lose his nose at the battlefield. Poor guy didn't smell the toxic fumes before falling to his death," Jade said.

"Poor grandpa," George said. He never knew her grandpa well enough, but he felt the need to say something.

"I'm going to pass on dinner."

"But-"

"George. Don't make me hurt you. Go away," Jade sternly replied.

George obliged and slowly closed his sister's door, walking back to his room.

Jade felt bad for treating her brother that way. She loved him, but as her darkness grew, even she wanted her brother to suffer. Nevertheless, she always had a soft side for him, even if she rarely showed it, but he knew it. He was always concerned for her, wouldn't leave her side one time when she locked herself in the bathroom to cry over something Sheila said about her. All the memories he had was with Jade. He was too young when his mother left and his father was never around. Though that was about to change.

The hallway phone rang and George ran to pick it up. He seemed to have a brief conversation with whoever was on the other line, though it didn't seem like it was getting anywhere. George called for Sheila, but she told him she was busy getting dinner ready so she said to take a message. George felt like a message wasn't good enough, as the person on the other line was important. So he went to his sister's room again.

"Jade?"

"Ugh, George. I want to be alone!" Jade threw her pillow at him.

"There's someone on the phone," he said. He may only be 5, but he knew well enough that this phone call seemed too important to ignore. So he handed his sister the receiver.

"George, why would you pick up a number that you don't know?" Jade read the caller ID.

"I don't know?" he said.

"Hello." Jade said uninterested.

"J-Jade?"

Her heart dropped. She recognized the voice. It was her mother. Jade pulled George inside so she could close her bedroom door and the little boy curiously walked around his sister's room examining her knick-knacks.

"Hello? Jade?" the voice on the other end asked again.

"W-what… why are you calling?" was the first thought in her mind.

"Before you hang up, because I deserve it, just hear me out."

"I surely will hang up if this explanation is stupid."

"I'm sorry, honey. I never wanted to leave you and George. Just know that."

**~.~.~.~**

Jade did know that. When her mother first left, she had assumed because she didn't want Jade and George to go with her. Her father made her the bad guy. Jade tried to appreciate her father a bit more because her 'stuck around', but that wasn't the whole story. Granted, he tried once to be nice to his kids. He made them breakfast once and only once in his entire life and Jade ended up throwing up after eating it because her food wasn't cooked all the way. But she let him try. She let him be selfish because he was all she had left. Though soon she'd know the truth.

A year ago, the family was at a thanksgiving dinner at Mr. West's mother's house. One of Jade's older cousins was messing with Jade's new dark wardrobe calling her a freak. Jade was getting ticked off. Jade threatened to tell her cousin on her dad and her cousin was unaffected.

"Jade, stop being a tattle tale and a freak," her cousin teased.

"I mean it, Steven, stop making fun of me! I'm going to tell my dad on you!" Jade was growing angry.

"Why would your dad care that you're getting picked on? He already knows you're the odd ball of the family," Steven smirked.

"Stop!" Jade yelled.

"Oh, you think your dad cares about you?" Steven laughed. "Jade, your mom may have been the one to leave, but uncle David just wanted her to suffer so he claimed you, George and the house."

"Shut up! You're lying!" Jade wanted to cry but fought back the tears.

"He doesn't give a chizz about you. He just wanted to see your mom suffer. He regretted not handing you over because he didn't realize he'd be stuck with you."

By some force beyond her capacity, Jade attacked her cousin, sending him to the ground. They were in the basement of the house getting the pies from the fridge downstairs, so Jade ran back up and slammed the door shut. When she returned to the dinner table, her father asked where the pie was but before she could answer, they all heard shouts and banging from the basement door. When her grandma opened it, Steven blamed Jade for being crazy and locking her in the basement. Mr. West was furious and threatened to call the police, in fact he did. But when they arrived, they had no substantial reason to take the minor away.

That night Jade got spanked by her stepmother and was sent immediately to her room. She started to cry in her pillow, not because she was being punished, but she now knew the truth. That her mother wanted her to come with all along, and she resented the developed hatred she built after being fooled by her own father all these years.

**~.~.~.~**

Though now that she had the chance to speak to her mother, Jade was torn between her emotions. Sure, her mother had good intentions, but why did it take her this long to connect with her kids again?

"I know," Jade said.

"Jade," her mother sounded relieved that she believed her and hadn't hung up yet, "please. I know I'm late, but will you take me back?" her mother asked.

"How? Dad said you lost custody?" Jade said.

"I talked to your father. He's thinking about it."

"Oh."

"C-can I see you tonight?"

"I… I don't know. This is all happening so fast. I'll think about it."

With that, she hung up the phone and turned to her brother.

"That was mommy, huh?" George innocently asked.

"How did you know?"

"I recognized her voice," the kid said. Even if he barely knew her, he just knew that was someone important. "Do we get to see mommy?" George asked.

"No, Georgie. Not tonight."

"Why not?" he began to pout.

"Because Sheila's making din-" then Jade stopped. Why not? She didn't want to be around people she hated. And even though her mother was gone for 4 years, Jade would have chosen anything over family dinner.

She picked up the phone and redialed the last number.

"Hello?"

"Pick us up in a bit."

When Jade's mother appeared at the door, Sheila would not have it. She begged to see her kids and when George saw his mother from the top of the stairs, his eyes grew wide.

"Mommy?!" he squealed.

"Georgie!" his mother cried, tears in her eyes seeing her son for the first time in four years.

"George, go to your room!" Sheila spat. He was too afraid so he ran to Jade's room.

"You do not have a right to yell at my son like that!"

"You are no longer a member of this family and that boy and girl upstairs belong to me. I'm their stepmother."

"Well then, Mrs. West, is your husband home?" their mother asked.

"Julie?" David had walked out of his office to witness the commotion at the door.

"David."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, still shocked that she was at his doorstep.

"I know you're still thinking about it, but do you mind if I take Jade and George out for the night? I promise to have them back in the morning."

"David, no!" Sheila argued. "Your mother will be here soon and we're supposed to have dinner."

David thought for a second and pulled Sheila to the side. Her tried reasoning with her to let Julie have the kids for the night because his mother didn't even like his kids. Sheila didn't like them either, but she just didn't want to accept defeat. She pouted and stomped back to the kitchen after David made his final decision. He ruffled his hair before turning back to Julie.

"Uh, if the kids say yes, I don't see why not. But you haven't been around for long so I don't know if they even want to see you."

"We're ready to go," Jade said from the top of the stairs. She and George packed some overnight clothes and stuffed them in Jade's backpack.

David eventually allowed for Julie to split the custody of their children, thus the beginning of back and forth traveling, and Jade's reconnection with her mother. The first few weeks were devoted to catching up, reconciling, and starting fresh. Jade eventually forgave her mother, even preferred her over her father, but was of course growing into her rebellious teenaged stage. She loved her mother, but was the typical teenaged girl also hating her for wanting to control her life. She obeyed her mother, but at times slipped up. One time she asked to get her nose and eyebrow pierced. Her mother had said no, but 45 minutes later she came home with said piercings.

Though this disobedience toward her mother was nothing compared to how she disobeyed her father. He didn't spend much time with her after she reconnected with her mother, though he never spent time with her before that. He never taught her about life other than the time he handed her scissors. He despised her, disapproving of everything she did. Her gothic style reflected her dark outlook in life, because of her father. Her possessive and stern behavior was a result to the cold and judgmental environment at home, because of her father.

**~.~.~.~**

There was a new girl at school that had the same style as jade. Goth. Her name was Missy Montgomery. She came from Ohio and was angry with her parents for splitting up. Jade and Missy understood each other so well that they became friends. That is until Missy got sucked into the popular crowd. She changed her wardrobe to vibrant colors and became a snobby girl. She made fun of Jade for being an outcast and pretended that they were never friends. Her self-esteem was shot down and that psyched her out whenever she had a chance to try out for a school production. Jade eventually grew an interest in the arts, finding it a creative outlet to express her raw emotions. Of course, her father shot her aspirations down, claiming that creative activities and people who perform them are stupid for wasting their time being immature. Jade became a wallflower. She was lonely now more than ever and hated the world more than she already did. That is until almost the end of 7th grade.

Another girl had transferred to her school and Jade decided not to get involved with this one. Partly because the girl was the polar opposite of her- bubbly and bright. Jade always sat alone at lunch, but for some reason the new girl felt compelled to sit with her.

"Hiii," she cheerfully said.

Jade looked up from her book, Wuthering Heights, and glared at her.

"I'm Cat," the perky girl introduced herself.

Jade was sick of this girl's happy-go-lucky attitude.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Jade."

"Ooooh that's a pretty name!" the girl cheered. Without waiting for the invitation, she took a seat across from Jade. The girl started humming and wandering her eyes around the cafeteria. She then noticed Jade's stud bracelets. They were shiny and she loved shiny.

"Wow shiny bracelets," she commented. Then she noticed some thin streaks of pink and blonde in Jade's brown hair. "Oh my god, I love your highlights!" she perked up even more. "I really want to dye my hair a different color because one time my brother dyed his hair orange and it looked so neat!"

"Why'd he dye his hair orange?"

"Because he was doing a solar system project and ran out of foam balls for the sun. He didn't have any yellow but he did have orange, so he dipped his head in the bucket of orange paint and turned himself in with his science project," she said non-chalantly.

"That's stupid."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" for once the redhead showed another emotion besides happy.

"That your brother's stupid," Jade simply replied, unaffected by her.

"Oh. Okay!" Cat returned to her usual self. "So what color do you think I should dye my hair?"

"Red."

"Oooh is red your favorite color? Do you like fire trucks? Oooh red is the color of the heart! Aww I love love!" she said with googily eyes.

"No," Jade grunted. "Red like blood," she evilly smirked.

Cat squirmed, the thought of blood disturbed her. Almost instantly, her mood turned back around and the perky girl was happy again. She took out a cupcake from her lunch pail.

"Jade, would you like some of my cupcake? It's my favorite! Red Velvet!" She held the cupcake up to Jade's face and the Goth couldn't take it anymore. So she smashed the cupcake in the petite girl's hand. Instead of crying or throwing a fit, Cat noticed some crumbs fell in her hair and she was fascinated.

"Oh my God! I should dye my hair red velvet! That's a nice color, right Jade?" she asked.

"Go away."

"Kk!"

Jade never understood the significance of that random moment at lunch with the new girl.

Later that week, at lunch Missy and her clique were picking on someone familiar.

"Wow look at this freak show. She comes to school one day looking like a dweeb, now she's a red haired freak!" Missy laughed. She and her friends began to poke fun at Cat for dying her hair red velvet, like she had told Jade. The Goth was at her usual corner table in the cafeteria minding her own business when she heard someone squeal.

"Why are you so mean to me?!"

She knew that was Cat. And for some odd reason, she got up and walked towards the clique.

"Missy. Quit it."

"Oh lookie here. The resident freak. Well Jade, looks like you finally get to have a friend. This freak of nature with red hair." Missy picked up a small lock of Cat's hair, letting it run through her fingers, though she looked disgusted as if Cat's hair was dirty.

"Don't touch her," Jade said through gritted teeth, slapping Missy's hand away from Cat's hair.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Missy tried scaring her.

"What am I going to do?" Jade asked with a straight face. "I'm going to turn around and have lunch with my friend Cat, and you're going to go home and wallow is self pity for the hell of a life you have that you have to hide every day behind this plastic facade."

Murmurs and 'oooohs' spread throughout the students gathered around who had just heard Jade's comment. Missy caught her breath, not expecting Jade to talk back, let alone break her wall down. She turned around and walked away, that day being the last day she ever made fun of Jade West.

"Go away," she simply stated and the crowd dispersed.

"Thank you, Jade," Cat said.

"Yeah well, are you okay?"

"Yup! You're a really good friend," Cat noted.

"I don't have friends."

"Yes you do! I'm your friend! Isn't that what you told Missy?"

"You talked to me at lunch the other day, just thought I'd return the favor and get Missy off your back," she said before trying but failing to get away from her.

"Wait, you really don't have any friends?" Cat naively asked. When Jade didn't respond, Cat's eyes bulged.

"Jadey, we can be friends!" Cat threw her hands around Jade's shoulders. "Best friends!"

"First of all," Jade pried the little girl away from her. "Don't call me Jadey. Nicknames are stupid. Second of all, I don't have friends because I don't want friends. And third, don't _ever_ touch me."

Cat, unaffected by everything she had said continued to jump up and down and hugged her new friend.

"Nooo!" Jade hollered, but the redhead continued.

Eventually, she gave in, hugged her back and pried her off.

"Let's go," she rolled her eyes and walked back to her table. Cat grabbed her lunch bag and skipped merrily to their table.

Jade has been lonely for most of her life. An ignorant father, a repentant mother, a naïve brother, and a very solitary world. No one gave her a chance. And she wasn't going to let anyone get that chance. That is, until that day. The day she met her best friend. The day she met Cat Valentine.

* * *

**A/N: So... I'm back. I reread that open letter to announce my retirement and it completely phased me that I did not give myself a chance to say thank you to you guys and other things.**

**I understand the mixed responses to the A/N, I appreciate your honesty. I won't be COMPLETELY gone. I'm still writing Austin & Ally - City Girls & Country Boys, and I have a follow up story for my Auslly fandom.**

**So... after mulling it over, really thinking about it and considering all the responses I received from _Breakfast In Bed_ and my original intentions... I'm going to be the strong minded person I encourage you all to be and finish what I started. My original intention was to come back with a new story (Breakfast In Bed), announce that I was writing for Bade romance and Jori friendship in addition to Cabbie, pick back up with both my collaboration stories with JMags-WriterofAwesomeness and AyItsJay, and finish the current stories in progress. I wanted to publish 30 stories before 'retiring' and right now I'm at 22 (including this). ****It'd be a waste not to be able to share the other stories I wanted to share with you guys. They all had 'themes' and 'messages' that some of you like to look for in my writing.**

**I found solace in an old friend of mine from grade school literally the day after I posted, and she's really been helping me cope with a lot of what's happening in my life because she is going through the exact same thing.**

**As for my falling out... That person still is my inspiration. That's all I'm going to say. Even if we say goodbye forever, see each other again in the future, or make up tomorrow, I can't imagine having another muse.**

**I did talk to a few people (still in the process of talking to some), but to _Sofia13_ and _AyItsJay_, if it weren't for you two talking this out with me, I don't think I would be here right now writing this A/N and publishing this new story. So if there's someone to thank for me returning for now, it's those two.**

**It wasn't fair that I sprung that letter to you guys so suddenly. And I don't want to sound conceited or anything but I know I've helped a few people in one way or another. So abruptly leaving you guys makes me feel like I'm walking away like this person did, and I don't want to do that. I'm retiring for good when I hit my number so from now until then, you'll see me somehow on fanfiction. Whether it's Victorious, Austin & Ally, Shake It Up, iCarly (yeah this was supposed to be a surprise), or any other community, I'll hit my 30 stories.**

**Time will tell. Time will heal all wounds. And I promise you, I'll eventually get out of bed.**


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